Medical debt charity

[flowerseverywhere]

https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.profile&ein=471442997

i was reading an article about medical debt and they mentioned this charity. It seems good to me. What do you think? Not old enough to be rated.

[Tybee]

Wow, I looked at the link and it really makes you wonder. Not sure what to think or if I would contribute but it certainly sounds good in theory.

[flowerseverywhere]

Tybee, I think what surprised me most is an insurer or provider would go through all the trouble of ruining someone if they were only going to get pennies on the dollar anyway. So if you owe $30,000 you would end up with less than $1000 to settle the debt? It just doesn’t seem right. If you were between jobs (a reality when factories and businesses close down or you have a severe illness) or had a poor medical policy (Very high copays and out of pocket) you could lose it all. How sad. I just always hesitate when charities have a small track record.

[Tybee]

Yes, I read that most bankruptcies are caused by medical bills.

[Teacher Terry]

It’s a great idea. I actually prefer to give locally to organizations or I donate silent auction items when one is held for medical bills. I did know that was happening to people but when very young I was a typist for a debt collection agency.

[iris lilies]

Yes, I read that most bankruptcies are caused by medical bills.
Or not.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2018/03/26/the-truth-about-medical-bankruptcies/

A more careful and accurate measure results in 4%. 4% of bankrupcies are caused by medical bills.

Now, this is The social sciences so this stuff has many methods of measurement, not all conclusive, but I think the author of this article asks an excellent question (paraphrasing): if a family has a mortgage of $350,000, three cars, a boat, kids in college, credit card debt of $12,000, oh and then they incur some medical debt – what is the cause of their bankruptcy? If you ask him they say “medical bills. “

Certainly, as the author points out, a long debilitating illness which may include job loss or reduction of salary plays into it and that is not a medical bill.

[Tybee]

Thanks, IL, I remember now that I got that number from Elizabeth Warren, so I look forward to reading this article and getting a better look at the methodology behind the numbers.

[Teacher Terry]

IL, that family was probably in trouble before the medical bills:))

[Tybee]

I know my son's in-law lost their house to foreclosure when they were faced with catastrophic health bills, and yes, they had insurance. I don't know if they became bankrupt, though.

[Teacher Terry]

Some friends of mine died broke from medical bills even with insurance. She had cancer 8 times over 20 years and him 3 times over 5. They paid off their medical debt by selling their paid for home. When her dementia worsened and her care doubled in cost her money was down below 2 k and she went on Medicaid. They did let us prepay for her cremation and urn out of that money. Once going on Medicaid she only lived 6 months.

[iris lilies]

But there’s nothing wrong with dying broke that’s my goal

[flowerseverywhere]

But there’s nothing wrong with dying broke that’s my goal

this is true. However the article points out many people who are alive, raising families and working who are in a gigantic hole because they got sick.
We have seen people who have done everything “right” according to social rules. Got up every day and went to work. Lived modestly. Followed to rules and had breast or pancreatic cancer and boom, had to rely on the kindness and generosity of others to survive. Or lose everything. Do they not deserve a helping hand from those who lucked out by not falling victim to indiscriminate medical problems?
Any one of us tomorrow could find a lump, get an infection, have a stroke or heart attack and so on, even as fairly young people.
In an era of $1000 insulin, tens of thousands of dollars surgeries, facility fees and so on, economic disaster could be closer for many than they thought possible. Many insulin users are born that way.

[iris lilies]

this is true. However the article points out many people who are alive, raising families and working who are in a gigantic hole because they got sick. We have seen people who have done everything “right” according to social rules. Got up every day and went to work. Lived modestly. Followed to rules and had breast or pancreatic cancer and boom, had to rely on the kindness and generosity of others to survive. Or lose everything. Do they not deserve a helping hand from those who lucked out by not falling victim to indiscriminate medical problems? Any one of us tomorrow could find a lump, get an infection, have a stroke or heart attack and so on, even as fairly young people. In an era of $1000 insulin, tens of thousands of dollars surgeries, facility fees and so on, economic disaster could be closer for many than they thought possible. Many insulin users are born that way.

I don’t have a problem with medical bill charity or “helping hands “as you say.